There are presently two general types of sterilization methods that are used for medical instruments. First, the conventional physical sterilization methods, for example, high pressure dry heating method, boiling method, microwave sterilization method and ultraviolet ray sterilization method. The second conventional type is the chemical sterilization method, for example, immersing medical instrument to be sterilized in liquids such as peracetic acid, ethylene oxide, glutaraldehyde, formalin alcohol or hibitane acetate and other such chemicals.
When conventional sterilization methods, such as high pressure dry heating and boiling methods are utilized to sterilize, for example, the hand drills that are used in alimentary canal departments, parts of the drill such as the bearing or rubber packing sheets, will be damaged as a result of being exposed to high temperature. If the microwave sterilization method is used, discharge will occur because of the metal parts that are present in the hand drill. When ultraviolet rays irradiation is used for the sterilization process, dimer is formed following the ultraviolet rays irradiation. The dimer is dissolvable under sunlight and bacterium immediately revives. This process is called photo-vivification and is well known in medical practice, hence, sterilization using ultraviolet ray irradiation is unreliable.
If medical instruments are immersed in peracetic acid for the purpose of sterilization, the metal parts of the instrument will seriously corrode. When medical instruments are immersed in glutaraldehyde or ethylene oxide for the purpose of sterilization, any residue of these substances that remain on the surface of the medical instruments will form new antigen which, when it enters into the human body's bloodstream, will cause anaphylactic shock. Although formalin alcohol or hibitane acetate is used to immerse the medical instrument to be sterilized, only part of the pathogen microbes can be selectively destroyed, hence, this method of sterilization is unreliable for some viruses.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a new sterilization method and an apparatus for medical instruments and or equipment which not only shortens the time required for sterilization but also does not damage the sterilized instruments. Moreover, there is no antigen remaining on the surface of the sterilized instruments.